Means for packing steam surface condensers



May 28, 1929. J WALTON 1,714,703

MEANS FOR PACKING STEAM SURFACE QONDENSERS Filed Jan. 7, 1927 Patented May 28, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN N. WALTON, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CRANE PACKING COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

means FOR PACKING STEAM summer: connmrsn as.

Application filed January 7, 1927. Serial 115159579.

My invention relates to improvements in methods and means for packing steam surface condensers, heaters, evaporators, coolers, and the like.

A method of packing condensers, which has been practiced widely for many years, is to slip a fiber packing ring over the end of a condenser tube and into the annular screw threaded recess of the stuifing box surroundmg said tube end and confine it in place by a screw threaded metal ferrule, in many cases striking the fiber packing ring a blow or blows with a caulking'tool before screwing in the metal ferrule. The metal ferrule bears against the end of the fiber ring, thus confiningthe entire ring so that when the condenser is put in service and the cooling water works its way into the fiber ring, moisture is absorbed by said ring, eventually causing it to swell, thus partially filling the screw threads-in the stufiing box, and also pressing radially inward against the tube, insuring eventually a tight fit whlch prevents. leakage.

The object of this invention is to provide without relying primarily on'the swelling of the bushing by moistening it, but by expanding the tube into the bushing, thereby 1nsuring a tight joint at the outset, not only between' the tube and the inner surface of they fined as effectively as in the old practice, but- 40 without the necessity of an additional metal ferrule, thereby effecting a substantial econ omy by eliminating the cost of the ferrule. In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated several embodiments of my mvention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevatlon through a tube sheet showing one end ofa condenser tube surrounded by a fiber bush- -1n ig. 2 is an end elevation of said bushing. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationsimilar to Fig; 1, but with a modifiedform of or bushing, and

Fig. 4 is a further modification.

means and a method for preventing leakagepacking In the various views, the tube shee't'is j represented by 10 and one of the tube ends by 11. Said tubes are preferably of the usual length. The tube sheets have openings therethroughto receive the tube ends, the outer part of said openings being enlarged, thereby forming a shoulder 12 between theparts of the openings having different diameters, the enlarged part having the usualscrew threads 13 therein. A bushin 14 is provided, of any suitable materia, preferably fiber, which bushing hasa fairly tight fit-in the opening and which may be driven past the screw threads and against the shoulder 12 fitting over the tube. After the arts are thus assembled, that-part of the tu e is ex? 'panded which is in contact with the inner wall of the bushing 14. This expansion may be effected by any suitable tool. The outer end of the tube is also flared or belled to effect positive enga ement with the outer end of the'fiber bushing, said'bushing also being flared at the end to facilitate a close fit between the tube and the bushing. This enlargement at the end of the tube serves to confine the bushing securely in place in sub stantially the same manner that said bushing would be held under compression were it shorter and confined by a screw threaded metal ferrule. v

By these operations, not only is theouter surface of the tube forced into intimate contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical bushing, but said. bushing, as awhole, is expanded somewhat so as to effect intimate contact with the inner surface of the screw threaded recess; that is with the inner edges ofthe screw-threads and to a certainextent I with the side walls thereof, as shown in somewhat exaggerated form in Fig.1, and also with the smooth wall of the recess be.-

tween the threads and the shoulder 12. Also the .bushing is closely confined between said shoulder12 and the enlarged end of thetube filling the entire available space longitudi; nally, the overlapping of the tube onto the ferrule protecting most of the exposed end? from contactwith the cooling water. Leakage ofwater is thus prevented both I inside and outside of said bushing. Such expan sion of the bushing as may take place even-:

-tually, due to the absorption of moisture, is

not'relied on to eflr'ect'a seal, although said expansion serves, ifat all,'.t'0 increase the efi'ectiveness of the'initial seal. Since the.

fiber isiprevented from expanding: longitudinally, such expansion as takes place necessarily takes place radially.

In localities where the cooling water is contaminated or is otherwise of such character as to result in considerable disintegration of the tubes due to electrolysis, and

.where to reduce such electrolytic action, it is and 2, I provide a plurality of metal fillers or slugs 15 which may be arranged circumferentially around the bushing, passing threugh the same, as shown in 'Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 3, the bushing.16 may have a metallic packing ring 17 secured to the end thereof. Said ring may be made" of any suitable metallic packing, preferably flexible metallic packing, such as is disclosed in Walton Patent No. 1,543,963, issued June 30, 1925. Said ring may be shouldered'to fit over a corresponding shoulder 18 on the fiber ..ring 16. In this view, the screw threaded portion 13 occupies almost all of the inner surface of the recess in the tube sheet, leaving only. a short smooth cylindrical orti'on in engagement with the metallic pac ing ring 17. ,However, the length of the screw threaded portion may be varied, although it is preferably the standard arrangement now in use where screw threaded metal ferrules are employed at the outer end of the bushings.

In Fig. 4, a similar fiber. bushing 19' is shown having a metallic packing ring 2Q located between its inner end and the shoulder 12. The opposite end of the tube passes through an opening in the tube sheet as usual and may be packed in any suitable manner. In this figure, I have shown a packing comprising alternate flexible metallic packing rings 21 and fiber washers 22 located in the usual recess and swaged or expanded toengage the screw threads'and thus lock the packing in place without the necessity of metal ferrules. Any other suitable arrangement, however, may be provided.

Some condensers are made'with openings throu h the tube sheet of substantially the same iameter throughout said openings, being just large enough to conveniently slip the tubes therein, after which the tubes may be expanded and the outer end thereof flared to insure a tight fit and to facilitate a smooth flow of water through the flared end 7 which constitutes the inlet end. Where the condenser has been manufactured initially with enlarged screw threaded openings in the tube sheet, as shown in Fig. 1, for example, and where it is necessary to repack the condenser and to obtain the benefits derived froin ex anding the tube into the tube sheet, such a vantage may be obtained by the use of my improved method and apparatus described herein; that is a fiber bushing or packing ring may be employed in which the tube may be expanded and against the end of which it may be flared or belled, it being understood that in each of the several forms of my invention illustrated herein the tube is expanded into the bushing.

It will also be understood that the metallic bonding of the tube and tube sheet may be accomplished in any one of a number of different ways. 7

What I claim is: p

1. A condenser having a tube sheet provided with an opening therein, said opening having an enlarged ortion, atube having its end received within said opening, and a single flaring fibrous bushing closely confined between such end and the wall of the surrounding opening throughout the length of the enlarged portion thereof, said tube end being expanded into intimate engagement with the entire inner'surface of said bushing thus compressing the same.

2. In a condenser, a tube sheet provided with an opening therein having an enlarged portion at the outer end thereof, a tube having one end received in said opening, a fibrous ring surrounding the tube and within the enlarged portion, said tube end being expanded into said ring along the inner wall thereof for its entire length thus enlarging and compressing said ring and forming a Water-tight joint between said tube-and ring and between said ring and tube sheet, and conducting material associated with said ring to electrically bond said tube and tube sheet. i I

3. In a condenser, a tube sheet provided with an opening therein, a tube having its end received in said opening, a single flaring fibrous ring surrounding and substantially covering that part of the tube within said opening said tube being expanded into said ring to enlarge and compress said ring and form a water-tight joint between said tube and ring and between said ring and tube sheet, said tube having its end flaredto partially overlie said ring and to aid in confining said ring within said opening.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

JULIAN N. WALTON. 

